sourdough hoppers- Frugal Friday
November 25, 2010 at 7:37 pm 33 comments
For people reading you’re probably thinking one of two things…
1/ what is a hopper?
or
2/ THAT is not a hopper!
To answer Number 1/ A hopper is a cup shaped rice flour pancake basically. There a few different types, (string, egg, plain…) A staple from Sri Lanka quite often eaten for breakfast. Nothing tastier than dipping a freshly cooked hopper into some curry with attitude.
- hoppers photo from ‘lanka.com’
In answer to Number 2/ I don’t have a hopper pan, or anything remotely like it. Which is why my little hoppers look like plain old pancakes. If you had a deep enough wok, it would work just as well, (I have a flat bottomed one.) A traditional hopper pan is like a mini wok, and I am on the look out, yes I am…
This recipe is my take on the delicious hopper. So maybe not traditionally correct, but they still work.
I even got my mum’s vote of approval.
Sourdough Hoppers
1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup rice flour
1 tps salt
1 cup coconut milk/ or coconut cream
1/2 cup water
Add all ingredients together, and let sit for approximately 5 hours. Mixture is a like a pancake consistency, and should be bubbling away happily, when the time is up and they are ready to cook. Pop some of the mixture into the pan, if you are doing it in a rounded pan, let the edges get a little crispy and then popping a lid over the top to enable the steam to cook the inside. (The middle part will be thicker.) For egg hoppers, drop an egg into the middle, just before the lid goes on to steam.
Serve with a great curry, ripping off bits of the hopper and dunking it in.
Or, easy thing to have on Frugal Friday. Make the batch up in the morning, forget about it, then they will ready to cook up by dinner. Serve with some lightly cooked vegetables in some vegetable oil, garam masala, salt and pepper…and maybe a dollop of natural yoghurt on the side.
Entry filed under: food glorious food, frugal friday. Tags: curry, egg hoppers, food, frugal friday, hoppers, recipes, rice flour pancakes, simple cooking, sri lankan cooking.
1.
Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial | November 25, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Brydie, yum! I want that for breakfast right now! Clever use of the sourdough too…
Have you ever been to Janani in Homebush? Little Sri Lankan place, does wonderful string hoppers…
2.
cityhippyfarmgirl | November 26, 2010 at 1:51 am
Haven’t been to Janani, will have to look out for it though. Used to go to a place in Newtown, but they upped the prices too much.
…and you know I love my sourdough
3.
Anna Johnston | November 25, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Yum
Confess to never knowing about a hopper or hoppers…., but I sure could imagine tucking into to one (make that some) especially with the mopping up curry business. Oh yeah 
4.
cityhippyfarmgirl | November 26, 2010 at 1:52 am
It doesn’t get much better than a little mopping up of a great curry Anna!
5.
Debra Kolkka | November 25, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Would that be the same as a dosa (not sure of spelling)? I have had them in India and Hong Kong – delicious. They look the same. Thanks for the recipe. I would love to try this.
6.
cityhippyfarmgirl | November 26, 2010 at 1:55 am
Debra they are similar, sort of. Especially the way i’ve presented them. Dosa’s use urad dal and rice that gets soaked overnight though, I think the hoppers are a bit more straight forward and using rice flour instead. Eaten the same way as a dosa though.
7.
Amanda | November 25, 2010 at 11:21 pm
I’ve never heard of these, but they look great, thanks!
8.
cityhippyfarmgirl | November 26, 2010 at 1:56 am
easy to make and something a bit different
9.
spiceandmore | November 26, 2010 at 3:14 am
I am very impressed that you made hoppers…and using sourdough too!
10.
cityhippyfarmgirl | November 26, 2010 at 8:57 am
I tried to find a traditional recipe but to no avail. (before commercial yeast was used anyway.)
11.
heidiannie | November 26, 2010 at 4:31 am
I’ve never heard of these – I’m going to make them- and by the way- YUM!!!
12.
cityhippyfarmgirl | November 26, 2010 at 8:58 am
Hope you like them Heidi!
13.
Choclette | November 26, 2010 at 5:02 pm
I was in the no 1 category, but now that I’m enlightened, I will be making hoppers – they sound really good. Have just made my annual batch of chilli sauce, so curry seems like a particularly good idea.
14.
cityhippyfarmgirl | November 26, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Let me know what you think of them if you make them…and if you can get hold a hopper pan even better!
15.
MultipleMum | November 27, 2010 at 1:45 am
You are quite the little chef aren’t you! I have never heard of a hopper before so thanks for the Sat morning lesson
16.
cityhippyfarmgirl | November 28, 2010 at 9:10 pm
You’re welcome
17.
Yvette | November 27, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Ok..didn’t know what a hopper was. but now I do and thanks for the recipe…they look great!…and so does your new theme…love it!
18.
cityhippyfarmgirl | November 28, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Thanks Yvette, header needed a change.
Hoppers are a great little accompaniment to a meal.
19.
Joanna @ Zeb Bakes | November 27, 2010 at 9:47 pm
I’ve seen the name hopper, rings a bell, but they look really nifty, are they called hoppers because they hop out of the pan and into the tum? I love dosas, and have studied several Youtube videos, but every time I try them they end in DISASTER… maybe hoppers would be a good ‘jumping’ off point. Anyway, a lovely post again from you x Joanna
20.
cityhippyfarmgirl | November 28, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Joanna I haven’t made dosas before, they always seem a bit too complicated so hoppers would be a much easier substitute.
21.
Christine | November 28, 2010 at 9:49 am
Hmm, I do like the sound of these hoppers! Anything that involves ripping off chunks and dipping into curry – I’m there! Yours look mighty tasty
22.
cityhippyfarmgirl | November 28, 2010 at 9:12 pm
An evening of ripping and dunking is quite appealing isn’t it!
23.
Sherine & Frederick | November 28, 2010 at 11:25 am
Brydie
Brilliant especially using sourdough starter instead of yeast.
Even us native hopper eaters from Sri Lanka have become lazy and use a packaged hopper mix! My 80 year old Mum still does it the traditional way making her own mix. Curry Leaf at Seven HIlls have a good offering of traditional hoppers and egg hoppers (just break an egg into the hopper while it’s cooking) with curries and a variety of sambols. You can probably find a pan in a Sri Lankan grocery store. Well done and thanks for the inspiration.
24.
cityhippyfarmgirl | November 28, 2010 at 9:15 pm
I wonder if your mum would approve of my hoppers? I am definitely on the look out for a hopper pan, will see what I can find.
25.
Katie | November 29, 2010 at 5:25 am
MMMM yum looks good!
26.
cityhippyfarmgirl | December 1, 2010 at 1:29 am
They are pretty good Katie
27.
Lise | November 29, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Mmmm…looks good (and what gorgeous photos!)
Thanks for your comment on my blog! I’m just a beginner at crochet, too–I learned this year. Fumbling my way through, but enjoying it.
28.
cityhippyfarmgirl | December 1, 2010 at 1:31 am
Thanks Lise. I have fun with the photos, (most of the time…)
Crochet, I have a long way too go!
29.
drfugawe | December 1, 2010 at 12:16 am
Wow – how come I’ve never heard of these? They sound wonderful – and I just got a Wondermill, so I can grind my own rice flour – do you think they’d be better with brown rice flour?
Many thanks, I’ll be making these on first opportunity.
30.
cityhippyfarmgirl | December 1, 2010 at 1:39 am
I’m not sure that many people would have unless you are around Sri Lankan cuisine. A close kept secret, lucky people!
I think it was on Zeb Bakes I read that you were grinding your own flours, I’m impressed. That would be wonderful to be able to do that.
Regarding the brown rice flour…I don’t know. It should be fine, just giving a slightly nuttier flavour….actually just pondering here, I’m sure it would be delicious.
Let me know if you do make them.
31.
Jemas | December 7, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Kind of like a dosa?
32.
cityhippyfarmgirl | December 8, 2010 at 2:15 am
Very similar Jemas, but a bit easy to make.
33.
LIS | June 24, 2011 at 10:29 pm
Hi,
I’m new to your blog but my brother in law also makes hoppers using yeast. He lives interstate but I think he managed to get his hopper pans from a store in Brisbane, good luck with your ongoing search for them!